Ice cream freezer



Dec. 9, 1941. A. D. 'sAuER Y ICE CREAM FREEZERl Filed Nov. 1o, 1959 124 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

ABY

A TTORNEYS.

Patented 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE CREAM FREEZER Albert D. Sauer, Greenville, Miss. Application November 810, 1939, Serial No. 303,892

(Cl. 62-1l4) 6 claims.

evaporator, it will become coupled to a driving mechanism by means of which both the container and a dasher therein will be, simultaneously rotated in opposite directions respectively.

Another object is to provide a driving mechanism which is a part of the unit and which will automatically uncouple from the dasher when the contents of the container reach a predetermined consistency.

A still further object is to provide an alarm which will be operated automatically when the predetermined consistency is reached.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of partsA hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

bracket 3. Obviously any other type of evaporating means could be employed, it merely being necessary that the evaporator be shaped to surround'a container as hereinafter explained.

A cross-bar 4 is-hingedly connected to one end of theshell-as shownat 5 and is provided with a bearing 6. The free end of this bar has a latch 1 for engagingk a. keeper 8 whereby the y bar can be detachably secured in position across one of the open ends of the shell. When the bar is thus located its bearing 6 is adapted to be engaged by a stud 9 projecting from the centerY of the-bottoln of a container I0, this container being proportioned to be inserted readily into the area defined by the evaporator l2 and to rotate therei'n. Thelid Il of the container is con? nected` in the usual manner to the container so as to rotate vtherewith and it has a central upstanding angular boss I2 in which is journalled and detachably mounted the upper end portion of a dasher shaft I3. This shaft has a projecting angular end I4 as shown.

The driving mechanism of the unit includes a base I4' having an electric motor I5 on one portion thereof and an upstanding housing I6 on another portion thereof. Thershaft II of the motor projects into the housing and is pro- In the accompanying drawings the preferred vided with a worm I8 in constant mesh with a worm wheel I9 which, as shown, is secured to a counter-shaft 28 journalled in the housing and provided with upper and lower gears 2| and 22. Gear 22 is in constant mesh with a larger gear 23 carried by a tubular shaft 24 which extends through the refrigerator structure A and is provided at its lower end with a socket 25 in which the boss I2 is adapted to fit snugly v tainer.

Referring to the figures by characters of refevaporating coil 2, this shell being connected to the structure A by any suitable means such as but removably. Thus motion will be transmitted from the tubular shaft 24 to the con- A shaft 26 is mounted for rotation within the tubular shaft 24 and projects through and above the gear 23. This shaft is provided, at its lower end, with a socket 21 into which the squared end I 4 of shaft I3 is adapted to project so that motion can 'thus be transmitted from Slidably and rotatably mounted on the upper portion of shaft 26 -is a sleeve 28 which is slidable within but rotatable with a gearV .29 supported on a cross-bar 30 and held against upward movement by any suitable means such as a stop shaft 26 to shaftv I3.

l 3l supported in the path thereof. Gear 29 meshes with an intermediate gear 32 which, in turn, is in constant mesh with the gear 2l. 'Ihus when the shaft 26 is rotated in one direction, the gears 23 and 29 will be simultaneously rotated in opposite directions respectively.

Sleeve 28,' which can be provided with a squared or angular periphery, has a recess 33 in its lower end provided with one wall 34 which is parallel with the axis of rotation of the sleeve and another wall which is inclined as at 34' so as to converge upwardly toward wall 34, thereby to provide a cam surface. A stud 35 is extended radially from shaft 26 and is normally seated in the notch 32 as shown particularly in Figure 1.

If desired the upper end of the sleeve 28 4can be provided with an extended stem 36 mounted in a. bearing' 31. This stemparries la collar 38 and thrusting downwardly against the collar is a spring 39 the upper end of which .is engaged by an adjustable screw 40 mounted in the top section 4I of housing I6. Obviously by adjusting the screw 40 the compression of spring 39 can be varied and the sleeve 28 can be caused to thrust downwardly against stud 35 with any desiredV predetermined pressure. A bell .or other suitable signal device has been indicated at 42 and is suitably located in the housing. A lever 43 is so located that one arm thereof normally extends under and is held depressed by collar 38 and away from a stop pin 44, as shown in Figure 1, while the other arm thereof constitutes a clapl`lper or sounding element as indicated at 45.

When it is desired to use the unit herein described the bar 4 is swung out of position across the shell or evaporator and the container I with the dasher therein is removed, filled, and replaced. .Bar 4 is returned to the position shown Vin Figure 1 so as to support the container with the boss I2 seated in the socket member 2'5 while the angular end I4 of shaft I3 is seated in the recess 21. spectively to-the shaft 24 and shaft 26. When the motor I is energized, motion will be transmitted therefrom through the gears to the two shafts, sleeve 28 being rotated in such a direction that the cam face 34' will thrust against stud 35 and cause the shaft 26 to rotate therewith. At the same time gear 23 will be driven in the opposite direction.` Thus the container I0 and the dasher will be rotated in opposite directions.

When the consistency of the contents of the container I0 reaches such a point as to retard the rotation of the dasher, the resistance thus set up will be sufficient to overcome the pressure of spring 39 and cam 34' will thus ride upwardly on pin or stud 35, compressing spring 39 'and causing the lower edge of the sleeve 28 to ride on stud 35 as shown in Figure 4. As soon as this action occurs the collar 38 moves away from the adjacent end of lever 43 and said lever moves to the position shown in Figure 4 and against stop pin 44. This action of the lever is due to the fact that the clapper end 45 overbalances the other arm of the lever. As the sleeve 28 continues to rotate under the action of the motor the notch 32 ultimately will be brought to position over pin or stud 35 whereupon said sleeve will be shifted downwardly under the action of spring 39 and this will cause collar 38 to strike the adjacent arm of lever 43 and force the clapper 45 against the bell 42. Immediately thereafter the cam surface 34 will again ride upwardly on stud 35 whereupon the foregoing operation will be repeated. The sounding of the signal will serve as notice to the user that the current to the motor should be cut oii' because the mixture in container I0 has been brought to the desired consistency.

the container returned to the evaporator in.

After the motor has been cut on the container III is removed, the dasher taken therefrom, and

order that the contents may harden until ready for use. t

A` valve 46"can be locatedin one of the pipes leading to the evaporator so that the operation of the evaporator can be discontinued when desired. Obviously a structure such as herein described can be located at any point found most convenient in a refrigerator, either at the top or on one of the walls. The evaporator, as before stated, canlbe of any shape most suited to the location in whichl it is placed and. obviously, the parts can be so positioned as to permit the container to be inserted horizontally into the evapo rator instead of upwardly thereinto. f

The unit can be installed readily in refrigerators already in use or can be built into the refrigerator at the time of manufacture.

What is claimed is:

1. A unit for installation in a refrigerator, including an evaporator having an open end, a container rotatably and removably mounted therein, a dasher rotatable ln the container, a

Imotor, separate concentricy shafts detachably coupled to the dasher and container respectively,

' a rotatable member mounted to slide and rotate on one of the shafts, separate means operated by the motor for rotating one of .the shafts and the member on the other shaft in opposite directions respectively, cooperating means on saidrotation, and yieldable means for resisting rela- Thus these parts are connected retive movement of the cam and stud axially of the shafts.

2. A unit for installation in a refrigerator, including an evaporator having an open end, a container rotatably and removably mounted therein, a dasher rotatable `in the container, a motor,

separate concentric shafts detachably coupled to the dasher and container respectively, a rotatable member mounted to slide and rotate on one of the shafts, separate means operated by the motor for rotating one of the shafts and the member on the other shaft in opposite directions respectively, cooperating means on said member and its shaft for transmitting thrust from the member to its shaft, said meansincluding a stud on one shaft and a cam on the member positioned to thrust against the stud to effect coaxial rotation of the shaft and member, and yielding means positioned to resist axial movement of the cam and relative rotation of the cam and shaft.

3. A unit for installation in a refrigerator, including an evaporator having an open end, a container rotatably and removably mounted therein, a dasher rotatable n the container, a motor, separate concentric shafts detachably coupled to the dasher and container respectively, a rotatable member mounted to slide and rotate on one of the shafts, separate means operated by the motor for rotating one ofthe shafts and the member on the other shaft in opposite directions respectively, cooperating means on said member and its shaft for transmitting thrust from the member to its shaft, said means including a stud on one shaft andal cam on the member positioned to thrust against the stud to effect coaxial rotation of the shaft and member, a spring positioned to resist axial movement of the `cam and relative rotation of the cam and shaft, and adjustable means for varying the tension of the spring.

4. A unit for installation in a refrigerator, including an evaporator having an open end, a bearing element movably mounted at said end, means for holding said element in position, a container rotatably and removably mounted in the evaporatorand engaged and retained by the bearing, a dasher rotatable in the container, a motor, separate concentric shafts detachably coupled to the dasher and container respectively, a rotatable member mounted to slide and rotate on one of the shafts, separate means operated by the motor for rotating one of the shafts and the member on the other'shaft in opposite directions respectively, cooperating means on said member and its shaft for transmitting thrust from the member to its shaft, and means yieldable under a predetermined resistance, for normally maintaining a driving connection between said 'co' operating means.

5, A unit for installation in a refrigerator including an evaporator having an openA end, a-

holding the member normally positioned with the notched end embracing the stud, a. motor. means operated thereby for driving said member .and

the container shaft in opposite directions respectively, said stud and cam and the spring cooperating to reciprocate said member relative to its driving means when rotated relative to its shaft, and a signal device actuated by the member when reciprocated.

6. A unit for installation in a refrigerator including an evaporator having an open end, a container rotatably and removably mounted therein, a dasher rotatably .mounted in the container, separate concentric shafts extending from the dasher and container respectively, a member mounted for reciprocation on the dasher shaft and including an end notch having a wall ycon stituting acam, a stud on the shaft, a spring for holding the member normally positioned with the notched end embracing the stud, a motor, means operated thereby for driving said member and the container shaft in opposite directions respectively, said stud and cam and the spring cooperating to reciprocate said member relative to -its driving means when rotatedI relative toits shaft, a lever, and means movable with said member for shifting the lever out of normal position when the member is moved in one direction.

ALBERT D. SAUER. 

